By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington. Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services. APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid. We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour. APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment. You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints. Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or
[email protected] to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights. APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.I agree that: A.I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information"). B.APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink. C.APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site. D.If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records. E.This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year. F.You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
*If I am consenting on behalf of someone else, I have the proper authorization to do so. By clicking Get My Results, you agree to our
Privacy Policy. You also consent to receive calls and texts, which may be autodialed, from us and our customer communities. Your consent is not a condition to using our service. Please visit our
Terms of Use. for information about our privacy practices.
You're not helpless. Find out more about possible facilities before you decide they're not an option.
Do not threaten to move your mother out but rather start researching facilities, tour them by yourself or with a trusted friend, choose two to tour with your mother, pick one, and set a move date. Meanwhile, stand up for the aide the next time your mother is verbally abusive with a swift: "Mother, you will not talk to NAME that way!" Perhaps that will make the aide feel appreciated enough to stick around until your mother moves out.
And knowing this, You shouldn’t BE putting up with this.
My whole family thought my mother wouldn’t last in residential care, but instead, she lived 5 1/2 of the BEST years of her last 30.
Start investigating your LEGAL responsibilities if you decide to make her a state ward. JUST GOOGLING will be empowering and fortifying to you as you make your way through the process of caring for your mother AND FOR YOURSELF.
Your image of “life is slowly going down the toilet” is tragically apt. When MY mother’s care pushed me to that point in our lives, I referred to that as “spinning”.
I was drowning myself at the time in all the “what ifs”, and they’d circle me and strangle me and leave me feeling there was no way out. BUT THERE WAS!
Do your research, find the best residential placement accessible to her, and MOVE FORWARD. You will make a respectful decision regarding your mother’s care, and your life will resume a pattern more like what it was previously.
And you RICHLY DESERVE IT.
There is another way. You maintain POA and stay in charge of her health care decisions and her finances. Hire a few caregivers to work in shifts to cover the 24 hour day. This way no one has to live with her and the abusive behavior will be limited. Multiple caregivers will handle it better than just one.
I had a elderly homecare client with LBD. In the beginning I was the only caregiver because her husband was still living and was able to do for her at night. When he passed away she needed to have a caregiver there 24 hours a day since by then she was unable to walk or stand, was totally incontinent and diaper dependent. So, I brought in two others and one who stayed and did the whole week-end. All of us did not get the same pay either, because all the work wasn't the same. I brought in the 3rd shift worker for 'sleep pay'. All she had to do was go to bed at 11pm when she arrived and then check on the client a few times in the overnight and do a diaper change if it was necessary. Her pay was low. The 2nd shifter pretty much only did feeding, some pre-arranged meds, supper, and companionship. She earned a little more. I made the most because I was the 1st shift and had to handle all of her daytime care along with all of her medications, the housekeeping, laundry and making sure the house was stocked with groceries and the supplies we used for her care. This worked well for several years.
The client's behavior was impossible when I was the only caregiver. I was able to handle it because I didn't have to live there. I went home at night and didn't work week-ends. When 24-hour care becomes necessary for a difficult client, I don't recommend a family rely on only one caregiver who lives with the person. It sounds to me like your situation is high-risk for potential elder abuse. You've had your home and your life taken over. No one can maintain the patience level necessary to properly and safely care for someone in your mother's condition and not be able to go home, because your situation is home. You've got caregiver burnout, my friend. In cases like yours elder abuse happens easily. Like a backhand across the face if the elder gets too mouthy or fussy. Or a rough shove when they won't shower. Or leaving them in a soiled diaper because you just can't bring yourself to change them one more time. All this can happen fast when it's you 24/7 and there's nowhere to go.
Hiring a few caregivers could be a real possibility for you that could work. Look for potential caregivers on a 'care' website (you know which one I'm talking about). Or there are agencies that us caregivers use to find private assignments. How those work is that the caregiver pays a finder's fee to the agency, and that's where the agency's involvement ends. Maybe this would work for you and your mom too.
There also the option of placing her in a nursing home/LTC. You can do it. The state doesn't have to be involved. Talk to your siblings. If they're not willing to help, there's always the option of an ER dump and the hospital will place her in LTC.
Remember: this wasn't placed on you. You accepted it. Now you can change it -- and not feel guilty. May you have peace in your heart!
We are not all Caregivers. I agree, start looking for LTC facilities and get her placed with Medicaid footing the bill.
My 96 yr old Dad has his and a very short term memory like 5 minutes.
He will have outbursts but it's usually because of a Caregiver's action. Like hurrying him when he's eating because he takes up to an hour and he feeds himself and always ask what do I do next which all you have to say is get some food, put it in your mouth, chew and swallow. I've seen them grab tge spoon out of his hand and put food on it then shove the utensil back in my Dad's hand and it bothers my Dad when all the Caregiver needs to do is just sit at the table and tell him what to do and let him take his time.
My 96 yr old Dad has very dry and thin skin that will itch so I have tgen put coconut oil on him once a day but some of the Caregivers are very rough with him and rub him way too hard and fast.
People with Dementia need to be told what is going to happen before and while it's happening, not just have someone grab at them to make them sit down or grab at a hand to make them stop doing something, ect.
My Dad can't remember what happens to be able to tell on a Caregiver and I would see bruises that were always said my Dad did it to himself.
My Dad doesn't eat much like old people and will ask for a snack every couple hours which they would just ignore him and not even answer him.
Anyway, I had Nest Cameras installed in my Dad's house and can watch 24 7 so now I know what really goes on and can be an Advocate for my Dad.
I can sleep better now since I'm able to call the Caregivers on things I see them doing and not doing and people do a little better when they know their are cameras.
Care giving is hard and you will get burned out unless you have help.
Speak with your mom and Caregiver and let your mom fully understand that if you lose the Caregiver that helps then she will have to go to a home to live.
You should get the Nest Cameras and put in areas where your mom usually is.
They are not hard to install.
Prayers
We go through a care company for aides and some weeks we have as many as 5 different care givers. She cannot remember any of their names if they are away from her more then 2 days which is all but one of them.
With her dementia, she forgets a question many times before she can answer it. I get so frustrated because she cries many hours a day, but when I ask what is wrong, she doesn't reply. I try multiple yes/no questions to no avail.
She also is bipolar and she has never had any reasoning ability as when she would "go to the store" and be gone for hours on end. I would ask her how she would feel if I did the same thing, she would reply " I don't know because I know you wouldn't do that to me". I still don't know if she doesn't answer my questions because she can comprehend what I am saying or just to get under my collar.
Dementia is a terrible disease as is any mental disorder, because it is impossible to understand how their mind is working(or not working).
I try to be patient with her, but sometime it is very haard to accept what is happening to her.
See All Answers